Cushion-filling machine



Sept. 15, 1925.

26. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l Leander Lj imbzu" Sept. 15, 1925. 1,553,677

L. L. DUNBAR CUSHION FILLING MACHINE Filed Nov. 26, 1924 2 Sheets-Shoot 2 LeanderLDunbar Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES LEAIFDER L. DUNBAR, OF LINN GROVE, INDIANA.

CUSHION-FILLING MACHINE.

Application filed November 26, 1924. Serial No. 752,446.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, LEANDER L. DUNBAR, a citizen of the United States residing at Linn Grove, in the county of Adams and State of Indianayhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cushion-Filling Machines, of which the following is a specifi-' cation.

My said invention relates to a machine for filling cushion-s, pillows and analogous devices and'it is an object of the same to provide means whereby the filling maybe fed into a cushion or the like smoothly and expeditiously and in such a manner as to fill the same uniformly throughout its entire extent.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts Figure 1 is a perspective of my device,

Figure 2, a perspective of an attachment used with the machine;

Figure 3, a longitudinal vertical section of the machine; and

Figure 4, a transverse vertiacl section thereof.

In the drawings reference character 10 indicates a table supported in any desirable manner on the frame work which may comprise posts 11 and braces 12 and 13. The table may be attached directly to the posts but preferably is secured to cross bars 14 near the ends of the table and additional vided at its. upper end with a yoke 21 embracing the stem 17 and a pawl 22 is pivotally supported by the yoke. The pawl has a lateral extension 23 adapted to ride over a fixed lifter 24 by means of which the pawl is lifted out of engagement with the teeth on the stem 17, which teeth form a ratchet bar adapted to beoperated by the pawl 22 for advancing the ram.

Means for operating the lever as illustrated in the present embodiment of the invention comprises a rod 25-pivoted at one end to the lever and pivotally connected at the other end to a strap 26 passing over a roller 27 carried by a bracket or brackets at the under side of one of the cross bars 15. At its free end the strap is secured to a cross bar 28 of a treadle having side members 29 and a foot piece 30. The treadle is pivoted at 31 on braces 12. A spring 32 is attached at one end to the lower end of the lever 19 and at the other end to a cross bar 28 of the treadle, said spring serving to return both the treadle and the lever to. their normal positions by reason of its connection above the pivot 31 whereby the spring is stretched as the cross bar 28 and the lower end of lever 19 both move downward toward alinement with the pivot 31 as the treadle is actuated. A pair of bars 33 are located above the top of the table said bars, being swingable cr0sswise of the table and being here shown as supported by pairs of uprights 34, each upright being secured to a brace 12 by means of a strip of sheet metal 35 which may take the form of a leaf spring tending to throw the bars 33 outward away from the center line of the table. Below the table each pair of bars is connected by a bowed strip of sheet metal 36 which strips are connected bya rod 37 about which a coiled spring 38 is positioned, the coiled spring being of such a length as to bear at its opposite ends against the respective strips '36 and serving to separate the bars 33 in'a resilient manner. A pair of shafts 39 extend lengthwise of the table adjacent the center line, the shafts being arranged in parallelism to each other and journaled in supports 40 one of which is carried by a cross-bar 15 and the other is here shown ascarried by the uppermost cross-bar 14. The respective uprights 34 are each connected to one of a series of ulleys 41 by a strap 42. As willbe evident rom the drawings each shaft carries a pulley 41 near each end. Another pulley 43 is mounted approximately at the middle of each shaft and these'pulleys 43 are connected by a strap 44in a manner to rotate the shafts in opposite senses.

At the front of the machine there is a handle carried by an extension on one of the shafts 39 and between the handle and the cross-bar 18 a ratchet 46 is secured to said extension. A pawl l? is pivotally supported adjacent the ratchet on one of the posts 11.

The material 48, which is intended to form the stuffing of the cushion or other object is assembled in a sufficient quantity between a pair of filling containers comprising, side members 49 and top and bottominembers 50 and 51 respectively. Thefilling materialmay.

consist of any desirable material for thepurpose and mayhave springs arranged therein in appropriate. manner according to theposition they areto assume in the finished article.

is. then thrust. downon the topmembers; 50

to bring them into parallelism as in Figure L, the filling material being compressed ac cQldingly. It isto be understood. that the compression inen ber as shown. inerelyhas its vertical leg arranged to slide up and down through the table top. but this may be journaled in various ways and may be provided, with means for moving it' up and down and for. securing it in various positions.

The package being placed in the position indicated in Figure 4, the operator willnow turn the handle 45 to revolve the shafts 39- and throw the uprights and theirgrippers toward the center linevof the table. Thesegrippers press against the. side pieces 4-.9 to further compress the fill-ingmaterial, untilthe containersshall have. beenso far compressed by the, action of the lateral'glip pers and; the upper compressor as tobring thefilling material to a .sizeadapted .to enter. the cushion. The pawl d7 will now holdvthe, grippers in position. The operator may then place his foot. on the treadle;29 and. depress it, to force the bar forward. and thus force the filling material out of, the container into thecushien, theend of which has. pref? erably been. placed o,v.er.the forward end: of the package formed bythetwo. containers above described.

The arrangement of the treadle andv co.- acting parts is preferably such that the operator will have to move the treadle up and down several times to complete the operation of filling the cushion, the strokeof the pawl being such as to force the ran'i ahead several steps at a time but not to the, full extent of its stroke. As. seen in Figure, 3 the ram is elevated above the table sufficiently to clear the lower members 51 of the containers. Preferably the table top has a metal reenforcement 53 adjacent the yoke 21 to prevent needless ear; A. pin 5a on the stem 17 limits the extreme forward position of the ram by striking against the rear side of the yoke. i

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that numerous changes may be made in my device Withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and therefore I do not limit myself to What is shown in thedrawingsand described in the specification, but only-as indicated in the appendedclaims.

Having thus fully described my said. invention, What I claim asnew and desire to secure byLet-ters Patent, is:

ushien filling. a ue emen ns a table, transversely movable means atone side of the table for compressing. a. mass of filling material, a rotatable element beneath said table, and a strap having one end connected With the transversely movable means and having its other. end connected With said rotatable element whereby when the rotatable element is, rotated the strap Will be Wound about the same and the transversely movablecompressing, means, will be. operated, substantially as set forth.

2. A cushion filling machine comprising a table, a transversely. movable, element at each side of the table for con' pressing a mass of fillin material, a rotatableelement beneathsald table, a pair of straps eachhaving one end secured to the rotatable element and having its other end. connected to a transversely movable element and adapted to be, Wound aboutv said rotatableelementto operate the. transversely mova le. compressing elements, substantially as set fort'h 3. A cushion filling machine comprising a table, transversely movable means, at one. side, of the table for compressinga massof filling material, a rotatable element. beneath saidtable, a strap .havingone end connected with the. transversely movable means and having; its a other end connected with said 5 rotatable element whereby When therotatable elementis rotated-the strap will be Wound about the samev and the transversely movablecompress ing means will be operated, and a. ratchet on said rotatable element for holdingsaid trans versely movable compressingmeans inadvanced relation, substantiallyas set forth.

4. A cushion filling machine comprising a table, transversely movable means. at oneside of the table for compressing a mass offilling material, yieldable means for urging the; transversely movable meanstoward the side of the table, a rotatable element beneath said table, and a strap having one endconnected with the transversely movable means and having its other end connectedwith said rotat;

able element whereby when the rotatable element is rotated the strap will be wound about the same and the transversely movable compressing means will be operated, substantially as set forth.

5. A cushion filling machine comprising a table, a transversely movable element at each side of the table for compressing a mass of filling material, means normally tending to force the transversely movable elements away from each other, a rotatable element beneath said table, a pair of straps each having one end secured to the rotatable element and having its other end connected to a transversely movable element and adapted to be wound about said rotatableelement to operate the transversely movablecompressing elements, substantially as set forth.

6. A cushion filling machine comprising a table, transversely movable means at one side of the table for compressing a mass of filling material, a rotatable element beneath said table, a strap having one end connected with the transversely movable means and r having its other end connected with said material, a rotatable element beneath said table, a strap having one end connected with the transversely movable means and having its other end connected with said rotatable element whereby when the rotatable element is rotated the strap will be wound about the same and the transversely movable compressing means will be operated, a ram for feeding the filling material into a cover, and pawl and ratchet mechanism for advancing said ram, substantially as set forth.

8. A cushion filling machine comprising a table, transversely movable means at one side of the table for compressing a mass of filling material, a rotatable element beneath said table, a strap having one end connected with the transversely movable means and having its other end connected with said rotatable element whereby when the rotatable element is rotated the strap will be wound about the same and the transversely movable compressing means-will be operated, a ram for feeding the filling material into a cover, pawl and ratchet mechanism for advancing said ram, and treadle mechanism for operating said pawl and ratchet mechanism, substantially as set forth. v

9. A cushion filling machine comprising means for supporting a mass of filling material in operative relation to a cushion cover, a ram to force said material into said pivoted adjacent thereto, a pawl on the lever engaging the ratchet bar, a. treadle for operating the lever, a lifter on the table adjacent the ratchet bar for disengaging the pawl from the same, and a spring connected to the treadle and the lever in a manner to return them after operation of the treadle, substantially as set forth.

11. A cushion filling machine comprising means for supporting a mass of filling material in operative relation to a cushion cover, a ram to force said material into said cover, a ratchet bar secured to the ram, a lever pivoted adjacent thereto, a pawl on the lever engaging the ratchet bar, a treadle for operating the lever, a spring connected to the treadle and the lever in a manner to return each of them after operation of the treadle, and interengaging means on the lever and the ratchet bar for limiting the forward movement of the ram, substantially as set forth.

12. A cushion filling machine comprising a table, a transversely movable gripper at one side of the table for compressing a mass of filling material, a rotatable shaft beneath the table having a handle on one end, a ratchet wheel mounted on said shaft adjacent said handle, a gravity operated pawl engaging said ratchet wheel, and a strap having one end connected with said gripper and its other end connected with said shaft whereby when the pawl is rotated the strap will be wound about the same to operate the gripper and the pawl will engage the ratchet and hold said gripper in advanced position, subtantially as set forth.

13. A cushion filling machine comprising a table, a cross-bar beneath said table adjacent each side thereof, spaced uprights secured by means of flexible connections to said cross-bars permitting each upright to swing in an arc with the upper end thereof disposed above the table, and opposed swing in an arc with the upper end thereof disposed above the table, and. opposed grip; pers mounted above the table on said; uprights and adapted to be moved towand: and from each other to compress the filling mate: rial said flexible connections tending normally to urge said uprights and the grippers supported thereby apart, substantially as set forth.

In witnes s'whereof I have hereunto set my hand andseql: at Linn Grove, Indiana, this twenty second day of November, A. D. nineteemhundred and twenty-foul".

LEANDER L. DUNBAR. [1,. 5.] 

